Polish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade

The Polish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade was a parachute brigade of the Polish Armed Forces in the West that was active from 23 September 1941 to 30 June 1947 during World War II. The brigade was based in Scotland, and it consisted of Polish exiles led by General Stanislaw Sosabowski. The brigade was sent into action in Operation Market Garden in September 1944, and its arrival in the Netherlands was repeatedly delayed by fog. When they did land, they came under heavy fire from German forces on the ground, causing several Polish paratroopers to die before even hitting the ground. The brigade lost 25% of its fighting strength in the battle, and it was later attached to the Polish 1st Armored Division and sent to occupy northern Germany in 1945. The brigade was disbanded in June 1947, and the majority of its soldiers chose to stay in exile rather than hazard returning to communist Poland.